Many panel doors utilized in building structures utilize an inner core material sandwiched between two outer skins. The inner core material may be wood, particle board, expandable polystyrene or any number of other natural or manufactured substances. Different materials may also be combined to form the core for a panel door. For instance, the outer frame regions may be wood while the internal region may be a less expensive material. The door skins may be either bent or drawn sheet metal, or molded plastic, the skins being preferably finished with paint or varnish to create a wood grain appearance.
The panels of these doors are the regions that are offset by borders of either relieved or raised trim. For a panel door, the number of panels may vary, but the panels are usually located in a predetermined geometric pattern with respect to the shape of the door. Many panel doors also include some combination of panels and door lights, i.e., windows. The door light locations also form a geometric pattern with respect to the panels. One aspect of this invention relates to providing selectability and versatility in arranging the locations of the panels and the door lights of a panel door.
According to one method of mounting a door light to a panel door, the door skins are precut in the locations where the door lights are eventually to be mounted. A pair of the precut skins are then adhesively sandwiched upon a core material, thereby aligning the precut openings of the skins. The door lights are then mounted within the openings to complete the door.
Unfortunately, this method of manufacture requires that the locations of the door lights be known at the outset of production, thereby necessitating a longer lead time because production cannot be initiated until a particular door panel/door light configuration is chosen. While a large number of panel doors of various door light arrangements could be mass produced in an effort to reduce lead time, this solution requires continuous maintenance of a relatively large inventory. If one particular door light configuration were to become unpopular, it would remain in inventory beyond its useful life, resulting in a waste of material. In short, this manner of providing selectability in choosing a door pattern results in delay and possibly, a higher priced panel door.
It is therefore preferable to first sandwich the core with two opposing skins, and then cut the holes for mounting the door lights, after a particular design has been selected. Because this method employs a relatively precise cutting step, care must be taken to assure that holes for mounting the door lights will be in vertical and horizontal alignment with the edges of the door and/or with the other uncut panels of the door. If a cutting error is made, an unsatisfactory door will result, or the material must be scrapped altogether. The requirement for precision cutting translates into an increased labor cost for the final panel door. In a sense, while this method somewhat reduces the lead time associated with manufacturing a panel door with a selected door light configuration, it also produces an increased labor cost in the form of an extra, precise cutting step.
For either of these two methods, the final production step involves mounting the door lights within the prescribed openings. Opposing rims secure the door light to the door within the opening. The rims are connectable from opposite sides of the door and have peripheral regions that contact and clamp upon the door skins on opposite sides of the opening. A bead of hot melt caulking or molding is then applied to the skin around the opening to seal or weatherproof the rims. This molding is shown in FIGS. 7 and 8 of U.S. Pat. No. 3,903,669, a patent owned by applicant.
Unfortunately, while the use of molding is considered necessary to seal the rims, the bead is susceptible to separation from the door skin, and its application represents a labor-intensive production step that results in a higher priced door.
It is therefore an object of the invention to reduce the labor costs normally associated with providing selectability in the arrangement of door panels and door lights in a panel door.
It is another object of the invention to provide a door skin for use in a panel door wherein the skins facilitate secure attachment of a door light.
It is still another object of the invention to provide a versatile door skin that may be advantageously utilized in any one of a variety of selectable panel/door light configurations.